This year there would be no cosying up by the fireside with a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie… well actually there would be mince pies, a lot of mince pies! Otherwise Christmas in Australia was going to be a little different than back home.
There would be no blustery wind, rain or snow days either but as Christmas approached the temperature rocketed. The hottest day we have had so far is up to 45 degrees so instead of huddling inside for warmth we found ourselves flopped out under the air con. Sticking my feet into the kids paddling pool was also a favourite way to cool off. Yet despite the heat it was beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.
A big part of this was living with a family and being au pairs. Seeing the kids excitement growing everyday definitely helped with the Christmas spirit whereas I think if we had been travelling on our own for this portion of the trip we might have felt a bit detached. We made Christmas cookies, played Christmas songs while the kids got ready for school and even helped Elfis, the very cheeky elf that came to visit.
So how is Australian Christmas different to UK Christmas? For starters ‘Dashing Through the Snow’ has new lyrics (obviously) and they have a song called ‘Six White Boomers’ a.k.a Six White Kangaroos – you can listen to them if you click the links. The kids got to meet Santa when he drove through the streets on a firetruck handing out ice lollies. Although mince pies are available here they aren’t as popular as back home but Claire kindly bought us some to help us get a taste of home and every time supplies ran low, another box appeared. And another box. And another box, until I think I ate more mince pies here than I ever would at home and I LOVE mince pies. But it was a sweet gesture and much appreciated, especially when we got ourselves a bottle of Baileys to go with!
Otherwise everything felt surprisingly similar. Even the Christmas cards and decorations are still snow themed, which I still can’t get over. What we did miss was our own traditions. Weekends away with the family, having Christmas songs blasting in my headphones while I shop for presents, meeting our friends on Christmas Eve and of course all the family traditions big and small we enjoy on Christmas Day itself.
Christmas Eve in Australia was spent baking cookies with the kids and cooking a big sausage roll as our contribution to Christmas lunch. In the evening we watched Noelle with the kids and once they were in bed settled down with a glass of rum and coke to watch Bad Moms Christmas. Then it was into bed ourselves before Santa arrived.
Despite turning twenty-seven this year I am truly a big kid at heart and barely slept for excitement of Christmas Day. We woke early to the kids excitement as they opened their Santa sacks and then Joey had to put up with my excitement at the presents my mum had kindly posted to us to have something to open on Christmas Day, which we had placed at the foot of our bed. It was nice to have a moment to ourselves to open presents in bed, exchange the simple gifts we got each other, and make sure we did some things just for us as well as getting involved in family Christmas. Joey’s mum sent us money, which we greatly appreciated as it can go towards an awesome experience for us along the next leg of our trip and make it that much more special. We also got to FaceTime our friends as they enjoyed annual Christmas Eve drinks (thanks time difference!) so as we were passed down the table, having mini catch ups, our FOMO diminished and Christmas cheer peaked.
Breakfast was pancakes and ice-cream and not long afterwards the Grandparents and Great Grandparent (Claire’s grandmother) arrived for present opening. Cue absolute chaos. Wrapping paper flew in every direction, Claire tried to keep track of whose presents came from who while taking photos, we tried to snap photos for the family, attempting to catch that brief moment of joy before the furrowed concentration of opening the next present and the toys piled up. The family was even kind enough to get us a few small gifts and chocolate to add to our ever growing stash. It made us wish we weren’t such poor backpackers that we could gift them more than a box of chocolates in return. Seeing the joy on the children’s faces when they opened their chocolate Christmas trees and an X-Box Kinect game we knew they would love, was the best part of all though.
As present-opening mayhem calmed down and the nerf gun war began, we gathered up the food to take over to the grandparents for lunch. They live on an olive farm just down the road and in fact their land stretches as far as the field at the end of the street from the families home. Even though it was a short distance I gripped the plate of nibbles I was holding in fear, using all my core strength to stop pretzels and salami flying in all directions every time we went round a corner. Luckily everything arrived in one piece and we were soon sitting down to lunch.
Due to the heat a massive roast is the last thing you feel like eating but there was still turkey on the menu. After a starter of prawn cocktail we got stuck into a buffet of cold cuts of ham, turkey and chicken, various salads (including a delicious broccoli salad I want the recipe for), our sausage roll and a cheesy potato bake. There were almost as many desserts as there was main food so of course I had a bit of everything. No Christmas pudding here, there was pavlova, rice pudding, cheesecake and trifle. Yum!
Full of booze and food and with the kids eager to get home and play with their toys, we retreated back to the families home for a rest. It wasn’t long before I was deep in a food coma and woke later in the afternoon to the family getting ready to head back over to the grandparents for the evening. Joey and I hung back, allowing them to have some family time and a bit of downtime for ourselves as well before joining them later on. As the sun faded, spreading orange and pink across the sky, the golden grass shimmering in the last of the days heat, I felt like this year Christmas had been a world apart from our normal Christmas and yet in some ways exactly the same. In the end it wasn’t the type of food we ate or opening presents or the little Christmas traditions I missed, it was simply being with family and friends. Yet I was grateful to have Joey by my side and being able to share in this adventure together.
The miracle of technology helped as well and getting to FaceTime both our families throughout the day to hear that they were having a good time too. As the stars (and the mosquitos) came out we shared family stories with Claire and Josh, having one more Christmas tipple before bed, feeling happy about where we were and what is yet to come for the New Year.
Jess' Journal of Joy 